iPod Challenge
by music-is-love10
Summary: iPod Challenge. 10 songs, 10 mini stories. Rory/Tristan.
1. Chapter 1

So, for those of you that don't know what this is, it's called the iPod Challenge.

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Gives You Hell – The All American Rejects**

He drove by her house one day. Just to see what her life was like. Judging by the fact that she lived in suburban hell – by his standards – he could pretty much guess what it was like.

Right on cue, she walked outside with two kids behind her and Logan shortly after that. She kissed Logan goodbye and piled her kids into the car, presumably to drop them off at school. What kind of life was she living? This wasn't the Rory he knew. The one that he knew was driven and motivated, passionate, and most certainly not living in suburbia. She wanted to be a news correspondent, reporting from trenches. Not a housewife.

When he thought that she couldn't see him anymore, he stepped out of the car. Big mistake.

"Tristan." He heard her gasp. "What are you doing back?"

**Don't Stop Believin' – Glee Cast**

She sat in the corner of the bar, sipping her fourth – or so she thought – beer of the night. Her life sucked.

"What's a girl like you doing in a seedy bar like this at three am?"

"I could ask you the same question," retorted Rory. "This really doesn't seem like your scene."

"And how would you know that?"

She leaned in closer, "You're wearing a suit and tie in a seedy bar."

He leaned back and laughed. "Okay, so maybe you're right. But everyone who comes here has a story. What's yours?"

Rory laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know." She muttered bitterly.

**Fireflies – Owl City**

"Santa Barbara's such a gorgeous city!" gushed Rory. "I love it here. I want to live here!"

Tristan chuckled, pulling her closer to him. They were walking around downtown Santa Barbara, taking in all the breathtaking scenery.

"Thank you." Said Rory. "This is the best vacation ever."

"It gets better, don't worry."

It was 7 and the sun was setting right as Tristan and Rory arrived at the beach. They spread out their blankets and lay in the sand, watching the sunset. Rory was nestled in the crook of Tristan's arm, and he was lazily running his hand through her hair.

"This is beautiful, " said Rory. "It doesn't get any better than this."

"Oh yes it does," said Tristan, "Now the 10,000 fireflies come out. "

**When A Heart Breaks – Dave Barnes**

Cleaning out all the memories of them was the hardest thing she'd ever done. Pictures lay scattered all over the floor, she put all of his old clothes in a corner – they were headed straight for the trash.

Rory glanced at one picture of them, cheek to cheek in front of the Statue of Liberty.

_Getting to New York was the most complicated journey they'd ever taken. First, the train broke down, and then it was pouring rain, and on top of that, the reservations they made at the Hilton wasn't processed. This wasn't fun at all._

_But then Tristan decided that there was no point in sulking, so he called up a cab and told the cabbie to go to the Statue of Liberty since Rory had never seen it before. Time was on their side for once, as when they got there, the sun was just setting creating a majestic halo to form around the statue._

"_Let's go." Whispered Tristan as he grabbed her hand and ran towards the statue. _

"_Tristan!" she hissed, "It's closed! We can't go in there!"_

_He rolled his eyes and slipped the guard some money. "It's magic." _

_They climbed the 20 staircases it took to get to the top of the statue and Rory gasped. "This is the most beautiful view of the city."_

"_I'm glad you like it," he nuzzled into her neck, "I'm glad your happy."_

_She smiled and pulled out the camera. They were grinning like fools._

The light was off in her room and she lay curled up in a ball on the floor and wept silently.

**Trouble Sleeping – The Perishers**

Tristan lay flat on his back and stared at the ceiling. It had been like this for the past week. It had been like this ever since Rory left. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat, he couldn't even think straight. Everything he did, everything he saw, it always reminded him of her.

He would roll over and see Rory's side of the bed, empty and cold. He thought he could make it go away if he slept in the middle, but it didn't work.

The sun would stream into the windows and he'd get out of bed and head to the bathroom. Only to remember how she'd always be up before him and how she looked so sexy wearing only his button down and with pillow marks on her face and mussed hair.

Life without her was hard. He couldn't do anything. He wanted Rory, and only Rory.


	2. Chapter 2

**This is part ii of the iPod challenge. Only 5 songs. Again. **

I'd still love to hear your thoughts! =)

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Scream – Chris Cornell**

It was like they just weren't in sync anymore. Schedules were off, timing wasn't right and it just felt like everything was going too fast.

Rory came home to find the dishes not done, the living room a mess and three day old food lying in the trashcan. She sighed and began picking up the floor, loaded the dishwasher and took out the trash.

"Tristan!" she said, marching angrily into their room to find him passed out on the bed, beer cans and potato chip crumbs littering the nightstand. "Tristan!" she tried again, flicking the light switches to get his attention.

"What, Rory?" he said, almost irritated that she was even speaking. Things had not been going well lately.

"Tristan," she sighed wearily, sitting on the bed, "I can't live like this anymore."

"This is the first I've seen you before midnight for almost the whole week, and you didn't do anything I asked you too!" she exclaimed.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Just because I don't have a job doesn't mean I play maid."

"I'm not the maid either. If you eat something, put the dishes in the dishwasher. Pick up your clothes. I don't _like_ cleaning up after you and I cannot live in a sty."

He snorted, "You? Pick up after me? Rory, you're barely ever home, I'm surprised you've seen this house in the last week."

"All I'm asking for is a little bit of courtesy. I'm tired when I get home, you know, from my _job._"

She stressed the last part and Tristan snorted. "That was just a low blow, Mary, a low blow."

"You're not doing anything to better yourself, Tristan! I can't get a job for you, you have to _find one_."

"Fuck off, Ror." He said turning over so his back faced her, "You say that like I haven't been trying."

"Have you?" she asked angriliy. "Because from what I've seen you haven't even left this apartment."

"I'm Tristan DuGrey," he said bitterly. "That used to mean something."

**On The Ride – Aly and AJ**

"Mornin' babe." Tristan slid his arms around Rory from behind, pressing a kiss to her neck.

"Hey," she said leaning into him. "Did I wake you? I've just been craving a hot fudge sundae with peanut butter."

Tristan chuckled, placing a hand on her stomach, "He's making you crazier than you were before."

She elbowed him in the stomach, "It's your fault."

He laughed, telling her to go sit down, and that he'd make it for her. She sat down at the kitchen table, adoring from afar. He'd been amazing through this entire process, she couldn't even believe there had been a minute that she'd thought he wasn't ready for this.

She smiled as he brought two bowls to the table. "I love you, you know that?"

He grinned, leaning forward to rest his hand on her stomach. "Daddy loves you and your mommy so much." He said, pressing a kiss to her stomach.

She grinned and ran a hand through his hair, savoring this perfect moment. Her life was amazing with Tristan along for the ride.

**Only Fooling Myself – Kate Voegele**

It was karma that they both ended up living in the same town, right? It had to be. There was no other explanation other than the fact that karma was biting her in the ass.

"Hey," said Dean, touching her shoulder, "You alright?"

"Yeah," she said plastering a smile on her face, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Wanna grab some food?" he asked, hopeful.

"I gotta get to work, but maybe dinner." She said leaning in to dutifully kiss him before she caught the bus for work. "Have a good day."

She ran into the little bakery down the road and grabbed a coffee and a muffin to go. She had about 45 seconds to catch the bus or she'd have to wait another hour.

"Oof." She slammed right into someone. "I'm so sorry," exclaimed Rory. "I wasn't looking."

"Baaaaaaabyyyyy," whined a girl, "She got coffee all over my new dress."

Rory looked up and found herself face to face with Tristan DuGrey and his girlfriend, Summer.

"I'm really sorry." She said distractedly, praying for the bus to be thirty seconds late.

"It's alright." His voice was soft, yet it was deeper than she remembered it to be.

"I'm really sorry." She ran out the bakery and made it to the bus just as it was pulling away.

She looked out the window and saw him placating his girlfriend. It was only in her imagination that she saw him smile at her.

"Stop fooling yourself," she muttered bitterly. "You gave him up a while ago."

**Keeper – Yellowcard**

_**I wish there was something inside me to keep you beside me.**_

They had a thing. Granted it only lasted for about a week before Rory came to her senses. But, they still had a thing.

She still saw him in the halls, laughing and talking to his friends. He avoided her glance.

She wanted to believe that she didn't hurt him.

---

She was everywhere. Every time he turned his head, he saw Rory Gilmore. Couldn't she just leave him alone? Except, he didn't really want that. He wanted her.

He still wants her. But, like she said, he's just not what she's looking for. He didn't pay attention in school; he didn't really have ethical standards. He just did what he pleased. There wasn't a single quality in him that she appreciated. There was nothing in him to make her want to be with him.

**Naïve – The Kooks**

How could she have done something so horrible? She's Rory freaking Gilmore. She's _Mary. _ There is a reason behind the nickname, you know.

He kicked a soda can out of his way as he walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head down. He just wanted to get away from here.

He wanted to believe that Rory – his Rory – would never do something as horrible as cheat as him. She was so naïve, so moral.

"You let me down, " he muttered.


End file.
